There are known mechanisms including gears with play take-up comprising at least one wheel with two flanges coupled via an elastic element, especially in the heavy engineering industry: machine-tools, shaping machines, automobiles, motors, energy transmission, rack railways. These proven technologies are ill-suited to miniaturisation inside a micro-mechanical assembly, and more particularly inside a timepiece movement.
Horology has instead developed one-piece wheels including elastic elements for taking up play with an opposing wheel, in the form of an elastic toothing, particularly with teeth in several parts including flexible strips, or in the form of a toothing with complete teeth, carried by elastic strips or spokes These wheels are often devised for a single direction of rotation. When these wheels have several levels, which may or may not be in one-piece, the opposing wheel must generally be in mesh with all the levels at the same time. The creation of such wheels requires particular production means, is difficult and expensive, and these wheels remain fragile, particularly in the event of shocks.